Methadone overdose accidentally or intentionally can be fatal. Taking methadone with some other substances can also lead to overdose. Methadone is a powerful narcotic medication that’s most often used to treat addiction to heroin and other opiates including OxyContin , Percocet and Vicodin. What’s considered to be a normal dose for one person could be deadly for another. Methadone is a member of the opiate class, known for its potential to be habit forming. Although Methadone has helped many wean from other drugs, it too has potential to lead to dependence. Methadone is dispensed in a clinic but illegal diversion from pharmacies, hospitals and pain management clinics has contributed to many cases of overdose. Some cases are attributed to methadone dispensed legally but many result from misuse and abuse.
Signs of Methadone Overdose and What to Expect
Using methadone with other prescription drugs, illicit drugs or alcohol can have fatal consequences. Signs of a methadone overdose can vary from person to person so it’s essential to be familiar with all potential symptoms. They include: Slowed or labored breathing, loss of breath, pinpoint pupils, weak pulse, low blood pressure, muscle or stomach spasms, blue lips, dizziness, extreme drowsiness, confusion, fainting, cold and clammy skin, seizures and coma. If you’re treated in a hospital for a methadone overdose, you may be given a counteracting drug called a narcotic antagonist. Other possible treatments could include monitoring of vital signs, stomach pumping and the administration of a laxative, activated charcoal or intravenous fluids. To be treated correctly, emergency medical personnel need to know how much methadone was ingested, when it was taken and whether it was taken with other substances.
Confidential, Safe Treatment for Methadone Addiction is a Phone Call Away
The use of methadone can lead to dependence, whether that use is within the parameters of a legitimate prescription or if misuse is involved. In either case, the Waismann Method of Rapid Detox is standing by to offer the most effective and safest medical detox. Our program is completely confidential and humane. We strive to build up our patients, not strip them of their dignity. Our approach can get you methadone-free in much less time than traditional rehab or detox programs. Patients in the Waismann program check into a hospital 24-48 hours ahead of time to undergo exhaustive tests and screenings to rule out medical issues. The procedure itself uses intravenous medicine to cleanse opiates from patients’ opiate receptors. This occurs while they sleep under deep sedation for less than two hours. They awake completely opiate free with no awareness of the accelerated withdrawal symptoms which occurred while they were sedated. Our program doesn’t use opiate replacements such as Suboxone to achieve detox. If you don’t have weeks or months to spend in recovery, the Waismann Method is the solution. Our serene Domus Retreat aftercare facility is also available, offering therapies such as massage, biofeedback and group and individual counseling to help patients continue recovery.
For Methadone Detox and Treatment information, please call today at 310-205-0808
